The average rent rose by 6.2 per cent in the old city of Hamilton in 2021. The average increase in Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough and Glanbrook was 8 per cent; in Stoney Creek and Grimsby, 3.8.
Yet 2021 was a year in which the province imposed a rent freeze. How is that possible?
Mostly because when a tenant leaves a unit, the landlord can raise the rent by any amount. Rents on units that came on the market since late 2018 are also exempt from rent control. And landlords can apply for above-guideline increases even for tenants who don’t move.
In the past 10 years, rents have risen 65 per cent in the old city of Hamilton—four times the rate of inflation. Increases in the rest of Hamilton were around 50 per cent, three times the rate of inflation.
Questions? Email: housing@uuhamilton.ca